DHS Secretary Nielsen Pretends Not To Know What Child Abuse Is

Before Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeared for her presser today, she sent out Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to answer questions about the administration’s policy of terrorizing toddlers who have arrived here with their parents seeking asylum. Nielsen, in her spare time, probably enjoys picking the wings off butterflies.

ZELENY: How is this not child abuse?

NIELSEN: Which? Be more specific, please. Enforcing the law?

How he did not say to her, “No you soulless, intentionally obtuse, lying sadist, you know exactly what I am talking about,” I will never know. But he didn’t. He spelled it out for her, playing her game.

ZELENY: The images Cecilia was talking about and the sounds that we’ve seen from these big box stores, the other box stores, when you see this, how is this not specifically child abuse for these innocent children who are, indeed, being separated from their parents?

NIELSEN: So, I want to be clear on a couple of things. The majority, the vast, vast majority of children who are in the care of HHS right now, 10,000 of the 12,000 were sent here alone, by their parents. That’s when they were separated. So, somehow we’ve conflated everything. But there’s two separate issues. 10,000 of those currently in custody were sent by their parents to undertake a completely dangerous and deadly travel alone. We now care for them. We have high standards, we give them meals, we give them education, we give them medical care, there’s videos, there’s TVs, I’ve visited the detention centers myself, THAT would be my answer to that question.

So…she smiled as she said these things. Like a fcking psychopath. Smiled as she described the deadly journey these kids made. Smiled as she said they have TVs now. Smiled – triumphantly as she finished, as if she had won a great victory.

Can we talk about how her response actually DIDN’T answer that question, by the way? He asked about the ones who were separated from their parents at the border, and it was crystal clear. She answered about the other kids. That’s like if someone asked her, “How much is 2 + 3?” and she responded, “I like ice cream. THAT’S how I would answer that question.”

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She tried to call on someone else, but Zeleny persisted. Apparently persisting isn’t just for women anymore.

ZELENY: If I could follow up, the hundreds that are not included in there, you said there were 10,000, but for the hundreds we have seen, perhaps up to 2,000, are there any examples of child abuse, that you believe? And how could this NOT be child abuse for the people who are taken from their parents? Not the ones who are sent here with their parents’ blessing with a smuggler. The people who are taken from their parents.

NIELSEN: Unfortunately, I’m not in any position to deal with hearsay stories. If someone has a specific allegation, as I always do when I testify, I ask that they provide that information to the Department of Homeland Security. We will look into it.

More doublespeaking, intentional misinterpretation from the Gaslighers-R-Us administration sycophants. Pretending to hear “Are there instances of child abuse?” when the real question was “Is this policy a policy of child abuse?” was clever, I have to admit, but does nothing to mask the evil behind the refusal to answer the question. The answer even Nielsen knows is, “Yes.”